Semi permanent canvas tent (1 Viewer)

[JayDoc]

Greetings mudders and mudderettes.
Maybe it's a bit of winter induced spring fever but I have been playing with the idea of setting up a semi permanent camping area on a piece of private land not far from my home.
I own an old but nice, heavy duty, canvas wall tent with integrated canvas floor that I'd like to set up back there.
I anticipate building a platform with a knee wall and small deck in front.

One of my questions is about insulation. I live in the midwest where we actually have seasons so heat, cold, moisture, wind will all be issues.
I may have access to enough foam insulation boards to insulate the floor of the tent.
My question is; if I use the boards inside the tent (with rugs on top of that) will that encourage water to sit on the underside of the canvas floor? Should I use the foam board on the platform instead and place the tent on top of that - using the boards as a vapor barrier?

I anticipate having a larger tarp over the tent to better protect it from snow and rain and sun degradation so that will help with water from above but I'm thinking about moisture from beneath the platform.

Any thoughts or experience would be appreciated.

- not mine, but all threads deserve pics.

 

[snobdds]

Search for Joeandzacksurvical on youtube.

They have a permanent tent they use all year round.

 

[rusty_tlc]

Why not just remove the floor and use a raised platform built with normal construction techniques? Add grommets along the bottom edge to secure the sides. That would allow you to raise the sides in warm weather for ventilation, assuming you add some netting to keep bugs out.

BTW this is something I would love to do, still looking for the right piece of property though.m

 

[JayDoc]

Why not just remove the floor and use a raised platform built with normal construction techniques? Add grommets along the bottom edge to secure the sides. That would allow you to raise the sides in warm weather for ventilation, assuming you add some netting to keep bugs out.

BTW this is something I would love to do, still looking for the right piece of property though.m

I have seriously considered this - and will probably vacillate several more times before I start work in the spring.
My major hang up on this is the bugs. If I cut out the canvas floor - or split it down the middle - and just place the tent over a conventional frame with wooden trusses and the platform as the floor, that would give me more flexibility in building out the interior - fold away bunks come to mind.
But I can't think of any good option for making it bug tight where the canvas meets the wood sides. I suppose there are glues that work on wood and fabric. As you say, I could attach bug netting to the canvas edge and then to the wood sides with plenty of slack built in.
Good thought. I'll keep thinking on it.

 

[rusty_tlc]

Velcro? Spline? My pop-up uses a combination of splining and zippers.

 

[Bogo]

The foamboard will crush under foot so you need to use plywood or something else above it to distribute pressure. I'd put the foam and plywood under the tent. Then inside your carpets. Use foundation grade foam and then you can use thinner plywood. If you make the foam and plywood a bit smaller than the tent size you can then have the edge of the tent lower than most of it's top so water will shed better. Condensation will also only pool at the edges and not run into the carpets. If you are willing to put holes through the floor you could screw down strips of wood along the inside edges to hold the edge of the tent down better than the stake rings would.

 

[JayDoc]

The foamboard will crush under foot so you need to use plywood or something else above it to distribute pressure. I'd put the foam and plywood under the tent. Then inside your carpets. Use foundation grade foam and then you can use thinner plywood. If you make the foam and plywood a bit smaller than the tent size you can then have the edge of the tent lower than most of it's top so water will shed better. Condensation will also only pool at the edges and not run into the carpets. If you are willing to put holes through the floor you could screw down strips of wood along the inside edges to hold the edge of the tent down better than the stake rings would.

That's a good point. Thanks.

 

[Marine7]

If it were me, I think I would remove the floor, build a knee wall, and "sandwich" the tent fabric between the knee wall and a wooden "sill plate". I just think having that canvas underfoot is going to cause it to rot out real quick. Also, if you want to roll the sides up, we had panels made out of heavy screening w/Velcro on all 4 sides on our military tents. Worked great! Maybe you could find them on a surplus sight? Not sure, but good luck! Post pics..... sounds like heaven!

 

[AlaskanWheeler]

Do a search on Stimson bow shed roof.

 

[mudgudgeon]

Do a search on Stimson bow shed roof.

cool structure! loads of possibilities with that.